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Car Insurance questions

Next fun part (not!) of new car ownership is insurance. I have 30 days coverage from the old (also out of state) policy so I have to get cracking. Insurance rates are brutal in CA. So I will take the senior driving course for the discount available. Anybody got any idea what the discount might be?

Have very good driving record, excellent credit, too old and a shady zip code. All part of the equation. So far State Farm is over the roof. Existing company, Farmers, not much better. Esurance (Allstate) didn't earn the friend's good seal of approval, though the rate was lower. Tried Costco (IDS Insurance) best rate so far, but not by a lot. Will check AARP when I do the course. I see those teaser ads about 'the things your insurance company doesn't want you know'. Anybody ever look into that?

Any suggestions? I am comparing apples with apples in terms of coverage and deductibles.

Best company/best rate recommendation from you? I don't qualify for the military company, USAA.

Thanks for your help.

++++++

Some say the land of milk and honey; others say the land of fruits and nuts. All together my sort of heaven.

Best prices we got were from a local independent agent that represented a number of companies and shopped it around for us. Not saying that that will be true there, and not all independent agents are as good as all others but its where I'd start.

Only one I pulled up for escondido was (although there are likely more in the surrounding area):
CSG Insurance Services, Inc.
Primary Contact: Camenson, Craig O.
135 West Mission Avenue, #107
Escondido, CA 92025, United States
Phone: (760)746-0693
Fax: (760)746-0694

I've had State Farm for so long that anytime I've checked with another company, they tell me they can't get near what we pay. We have homeowner's, two vehicles and a trailer covered, so we get maximum discounts.

I've had State Farm for so long that anytime I've checked with another company, they tell me they can't get near what we pay. We have homeowner's, two vehicles and a trailer covered, so we get maximum discounts.

Similar situation here, but with Allstate. Two cars, homeowners', life, and an umbrella policy. Actually been with them for FIFTY YEARS! I look for quotes every few years, but nobody has beaten them yet.

Senior driving course should get you 5%. Also, many insurance companies use credit based rate systems...bad credit = higher rates. I received a letter from my insurance company announcing they were implementing credit based rates and called them to ask what was up. They said people with bad credit are more likely to file claims. I said I've been with you for 45 years and have never filed a claim, if I had bad credit would my rates increase? Yup. Amazing

My expertise is from having worked for USAA for many years, as a computer geek. But I hung out with a lot of insurance folks. Maybe that is similar to "but last night I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express."

The bigger question than the premium is what the company pays for when you have a claim. When my wife totaled her one-year-old car, USAA paid almost the list price, then added payment for the half tank of gas, plus payment for the half year left on the state inspection, etc. After I left USAA, I was consulting at a different insurance company where the claims adjusters rejoiced that they had discovered that the premium finish on the car was not factory standard, and it wasn't listed for optional coverage, so they weren't going to repair it. I don't want to be insured by them.

USAA is my choice, but you have to be a member. Eligibility has been extended from officers only to enlisted.
State Farm is a great company
Allstate is not always as good for paying claims
Progressive is great at claims service; they start expensive, but their premiums tend to drop over time.
Geico had a bad history years ago, but I have not heard anything bad lately - since they got the gecko.

If you never have a claim, then the cheapest company is okay.

Charlie Plesums, Austin Texas(Retired early to become a custom furnituremaker)
Lots of my free advice at www.solowoodworker.com

Next fun part (not!) of new car ownership is insurance. I have 30 days coverage from the old (also out of state) policy so I have to get cracking. Insurance rates are brutal in CA. So I will take the senior driving course for the discount available. Anybody got any idea what the discount might be?

Have very good driving record, excellent credit, too old and a shady zip code. All part of the equation. So far State Farm is over the roof. Existing company, Farmers, not much better. Esurance (Allstate) didn't earn the friend's good seal of approval, though the rate was lower. Tried Costco (IDS Insurance) best rate so far, but not by a lot. Will check AARP when I do the course. I see those teaser ads about 'the things your insurance company doesn't want you know'. Anybody ever look into that?

Any suggestions? I am comparing apples with apples in terms of coverage and deductibles.

Best company/best rate recommendation from you? I don't qualify for the military company, USAA.

Thanks for your help.

Carol,
When I was living in California, I joined AAA and used their insurance... in the beginning I was under 25, single, driving a 1964 Corvette... the insurance was pretty reasonable given the situation.... when I turned 25, the rate dropped by about 50%. I had five claims while under their insurance, the Corvette was rear ended, fixed and my portion was under $500, the Corvette was stolen, replaced and again my portion was about $500 - plus the difference in the price of the replacement... After I married and divorced, I drove an Alfa Romeo Alfetta... picked up a rock in the radiator on Bayshore Highway (Hwy 101 San Jose to San Fran) caused the engine to over heat and scored the cylinder wall in one cylinder of the motor.... insurance replaced the cylinder sleeve and my portion was $200.... while married and driving the wife's Ford Cortina (Creepy little car) I rear ended a cop car on El Camino in San Mateo... didn't get it fixed for several months and AAA had actually closed the claim account... when I did take it to body shop, they reopened the claim, fixed the fender and my portion was under $200. Fifth claim was actually paid by my employer, I was at the SF airport in employee parking lot and a 707 jet blew a hydraulic line while parked against the blast fence between the ramp and the employee parking lot.... my second Corvette got sprayed with Skydrol... since my car was fiberglass, only marred the finish a little... a number of the other cars around me the paint was stripped off their cars.... TWA wrote a check to everyone affected to have the cars repainted... my just needed buffing out.

Don't know about now, but in the days I lived in Calif, the ins rates in SF were much higher than those in LA.... when I transferred north, I cut my insurance coverage back to bare state requirements and it still went up by a few dollars over what I paid in LA..... don't know how rates are in San Diego.

BTW, I qualify for USAA, but their rates are much higher than what I get from Hartford through AARP.

Chuck
Tellico Plains, TNhttps://www.etsy.com/shop/TellicoTurnings
My parents taught me to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder to find any.
If you go looking for trouble, it will usually find you.

Like Ryan, I use an independent and used the same one until she retired recently. The folks she sold to have been good enough fo me to stay but, I do miss those calls a couple times a year when Sharon would say "hey, if I move you to XYZ you'll have the same coverage and save $20". that was service above and beyond. I'll PM you.